Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool summer plans not affected by top-four finish

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the club’s summer transfer plans will not be affected by their potential failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The Reds have endured a troubled campaign, but their recent resurgence is enough to spark hope they could still snatch a spot in the Premier League top four.

Klopp’s side have won their last six games in a row – the first time they have achieved the feat this season – putting themselves within touching distance of the Champions League places.

The Merseysiders currently sit fifth in the Premier League table, one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, having played one more game.

With three games left to play this term, Liverpool cannot afford any slip-ups and will need to maintain their current form while hoping Man United falter in their remaining fixtures.

“At the moment, when you talk (to a player), you realise that he’s already clarified because we can’t tell anybody that we will definitely be in the Champions League next year,” Klopp said (via The Athletic).

“So if he’s talking to us, then it’s probably already clear that he knows about that situation. It’s obvious that we have to fight for being part of the Champions League and to fight for trophies.

“And if you want to be part of that, you’re more than welcome. It’s only one thing that we can’t guarantee this year, and that is Champions League football.”

Liverpool could finish outside the top four for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign, and Klopp had previously insisted his side would settle for a Europa League challenge.

However, the German tactician believes the club will remain attractive to summer targets despite the prospect of not featuring in Europe’s most prestigious tournament.

“We’re still Liverpool, and that means we are really attractive for a lot of players, and we should not forget that,” Klopp added. “That’s why I’m not concerned about that fact.

“Everything is more difficult without the Champions League – that’s how it is. But apart from that, it’s absolutely okay the situation we are in, from a talking point of view and from a convincing point of view.”

Liverpool travel to King Power Stadium to take on the relegation-battling Leicester City, looking to take another massive step in their late push for a top-four berth.